Egyptian FM says attack on Israeli Embassy in Cairo ‘was quite unfortunate’, and was ‘condemned by all responsible parties in Egypt at the time.’

Haaretz

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr in Cairo on Wednesday, for talks which included fraying Israel-Egypt relations and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Amr said that an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo earlier this month, “was quite unfortunate, and I think it was condemned by all responsible parties in Egypt at the time. We made it very clear that Egypt respects its commitment under the Vienna 1961 treaty on diplomatic relations. We made it clear that we are committed to protect any mission on our soil and the personnel working in them.

“The army was very careful to see that all the personnel that wanted to leave left under the guard of the army. No one was hurt. We made sure that everyone was safe. And I think we were very clear in just reiterating our commitments to the protection of any missions and personnel.”

Concerning recent attempts by Congress to impose conditions on American aid to Egypt, Clinton that the Obama administration opposed such a move.

“We are against conditionality. And I conveyed our position to the minister. We will be working very hard with the Congress to convince the Congress that that is not the best approach to take,” she said. “We believe that the long-standing relationship between the United States and Egypt is of paramount importance to both of us. We support the democratic transition, and we don’t want to do anything that in any way draws into question our relationship or our support.

We also believe that the army has played a very stabilizing, important role during this period. You can see what happens when you either don’t have an institution like the institutions that Egypt has, including an army. And you’ve seen what happens when the army is not on the side of the people. Well, Egypt’s strong institutions, long- standing respect for the army and the role the army played was absolutely critical for the revolution.

“So we’re going to make that case very strongly, and I want to be sure that Egyptians know that the Obama administration opposes conditionality and do not believe that’s in the best interests of our relationship.”

Clinton’s statement follow a speech Amr made to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, in which he attacked Israel and called on the nations of the world to recognize a Palestinian state, saying that “the establishment of a Palestinian state is the only way to achieve a just peace based on two states.”

He accused Israel of ignoring the international community, continuing its policy of settlement expansion, relentlessly continuing the blockade on Gaza, violently assaulting civilians, and continuously violating international law.

It was absurd to negotiate peace while Israel was continuing to build in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, he said.

Clinton, meanwhile, said a demarcation of borders between Israeli and Palestinian territory would be a constructive step.

“If there were an agreement on borders, then there would be no more controversy about settlements, because everybody would know what side of the border is for Palestine and what side is for Israel.

“So I think that there is no shortcut to this. We have to urge the parties to put aside their reluctance or their distrust and begin the hard work of negotiating. And you know, Egypt, the United States, the Quartet, everyone will stand prepared to put pressure on both sides to try to move toward a settlement of the outstanding issues”.

Recent developments in the Middle East such as the storming of the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, in which a group of Egyptian protesters broke into the embassy compound and led to American intervention to safely extract six Israeli security officials inside, have been of concern to the United States, which has been lobbying much of the world in recent weeks against a Palestinian bid for recognition as a state and UN membership. Egypt, which under ousted president Hosni Mubarak often played a key mediation role between the two sides, has come out determinedly for the Palestinian bid over fierce Israeli opposition.

And with elections in the United States around the corner, Washington’s challenge is only likely to get more difficult. At stake is American influence in a crucial geopolitical space linking North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. Also in question is how the U.S.­ projects power in a part of the world where al-Qaida and other Islamist extremists still pose a threat to the United States, and where the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to hamper American relations with Arab countries.

Among American officials, the early hopes of a triumph for democracy and rule of law after Mubarak’s February ouster, alongside a continuum of U.S.-Egyptian cooperation, have slipped somewhat amid the increasingly worrying signs: the apparent chaos in the Israeli embassy storming, the arrests of demonstrators and bloggers, the extension of the Mubarak-era emergency law empowering authorities to detain people without charge and stamp out strikes and demonstrations.

The vote for Egypt’s legislative People’s Assembly starts November 28 and the less powerful Shura Council on January 29, with both parliamentary houses to begin their session in March. And well-organized Islamist parties could make significant gains, with the hardline Muslim Brotherhood likely to parlay any new power into a far tougher line on cooperation with the United States and Israel.

While any new government would likely honor the 1979 accords with Israel, the result may be one closer to cold peace than regional partnership. Neither the remnants of the old regime nor youth-driven secular groups are keen to assume the banner of Mubarak’s unpopular legacy or ignore the voices on the streets which mobilized so forcefully against Mubarak.

US presses Egypt on Israel, democracy

The United States on Wednesday sought to press its wary allies in Egypt’s army leadership to bolster ties with Israel and stick to scheduled elections later this year, even though a new set of leaders much less friendly to the US and the Jewish state may be the winners.

Ahead of a meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egyptian Foreign Minister Muhammed Amr, the State Department said it was encouraged by the way Egypt’s military council has defused tensions with its neighbor after protesters recently stormed the Israeli embassy in Cairo.

But State officials expressed continued concerns over the interim government’s commitment to ending the emergency laws that were a mainstay of abuse during Hosni Mubarak’s three-decade rule.

“It is obviously a very important time in Egypt,” spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. “We have a broad and deep relationship working to support the democratic transition in Egypt that is under way.”

The American demands on Egypt represent in some ways the twin set of hopes and fears for all the movements for greater democracy in the Arab world.

Precarious balancing act

With Egypt, the United States is facing a precarious balancing act: It is trying to lay the foundation for renewed relations with a future government that will be more democratic if less amenable to US interests; and it is attempting to convince Egypt’s leaders to salvage ties with Israel and maintain counterterrorism and diplomatic efforts that may be deemed vital for American national security, but not necessarily supported by the Egyptian people.

The fraying of relations with Israel has especially concerned the United States, which has been lobbying much of the world in recent weeks against a Palestinian bid for UN membership. Egypt, which under Mubarak often played a key mediation role between the two sides, has come out determinedly for the Palestinian bid over fierce Israeli opposition.

And with elections around the corner, Washington’s challenge is only likely to get more difficult. At stake is American influence in a crucial geopolitical space linking North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. Also in question is how the US projects power in a part of the world where al-Qaeda and other Islamist extremists still pose a threat to the United States, and where the six-decade Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to hamper American relations with Arab countries

While any new government would likely honor the 1979 peace agreement with Israel, the result may be one closer to cold peace than regional partnership. Neither the remnants of the old regime nor youth-driven secular groups are keen to assume the banner of Mubarak’s unpopular legacy or ignore the voices on the streets which mobilized so forcefully against Mubarak.

Similarly, the US can’t push too hard right now against the fragile military council guiding the transition. For all its failings, the administration sees it as the best hope for a stable transition.

A collapse in the reform process or a retrenchment away from free and fair elections, and toward a military junta, would provide a devastating example for a Middle East that is still largely in revolt.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said Wednesday that Israel and the Palestinians should resume talks with clear terms of reference and clear timeline.

He added that the settlements “continue to be an impediment” to peace.

Ya gotta love fat-ass Hilarious’s comment on non-demarcated borders as the cause of confusion as to illegal settlements – might one ask if the Izraileeeze are really confused about the placement of these Settlements? They know exactly where and why they are building the settlements – to chop up the diminishing possibilities of a viable , and future Palestinian State. What nerve Hilary has – does she think everyone is a fool? The cunning of the Izrailee is off the charts, and she tries to whit-wash it with a state of unknowing confusion. Peter

“even though a new set of leaders much less friendly to the US and the Jewish state may be the winners.” :
personally, I`m hoping this will be the outcome, the whole ME needs a breath of fresh, clean air, a new broom, sweeping clean, approach..

Notice how they refer to ‘Jewish state’, this is classic brainwashing 101, imo. First they keep repeating what they want to happen, (recognizing Palestine as a Jewish state). The repitition wears
a groove in our brain, most of us are creatures of habit.

People who don’t really follow the situation hear Jewish state so often that some of them think that it is the zionist Jews who are being persecuted and occupied.

If I had to rely on msm I would be hopelessly confused or even on the side of the racists.

I think Israel is getting more and more isolated and all those puppets installed by the CIA in favor of Israel are crumbling down, and the only friend Israel had, Turkey has turned against the parasitic entity because of its impertinent and genocidal policies.